How do different systems of government compare?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the system of government in the UK and how this differs to governments across the world.
Key learning points
- Governments range across the world from full democracies to authoritarian regimes.
- There are five main factors that determine how democratic a country is.
- Systems of government are different across the world.
Keywords
Democracy - a system of government in which citizens vote in regular, fair elections for representatives who then make laws and decisions on their behalf
Democracy Index - an index measuring the quality of democracy across the world
Government - the group of people with the authority to govern a country; in the UK the Government is chosen and led by the Prime Minister (PM)
Common misconception
Democratic governments cannot have authoritarian features, and authoritarian regimes cannot have democratic elements.
Governments are not always purely democratic or authoritarian. Many exist on a spectrum and can have a mix of both democratic and authoritarian traits.
Teacher tip
Pupils could look in-depth at a specific country to find out how their system of government operates and compare what they have found.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the type of government to its characteristic.
people vote for a party to lead the Government
power is concentrated in a single leader or party, without opposition
leadership is passed through a royal family
Q2.Why may the media be less reliable in a non-democratic country?
Q3.Which of these characteristics makes elections in democracies fair?
Q4.Direct democracy is used in Switzerland, which allows citizens to vote on proposed .
Q5.In which of these countries are you most likely to get into trouble for criticising the Government?
Q6.Which of these statements best describes the concept of the rule of law, a key feature of a democracy?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these is not a category in the Democracy Index?
Q2.Which of the following is an example of an authoritarian regime?
Q3.Which of these categories is a factor scored in the Democracy Index?
Q4.Match the following factors to their descriptions in the Democracy Index.
the ability for citizens to freely choose their leaders
the attitudes and values people have about how the country is run
the fundamental freedoms granted to people in the country
Q5.Governments may exist on a political spectrum and can have a mix of both democratic and traits.
Q6.Which of these pieces of evidence does not explain why Norway has such a high score on the Democracy Index?
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: How do different systems of government compare?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: How do different systems of government compare?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the How do others govern? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.